Apparatus for moistening and cutting individual units from a sheet



June 6, 96 K. F. SCHISCHKOW APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING AND CUTTINGINDIVIDUAL UNITS FROM A SHEET 3Sheets-$heet 1 Filed July 15, 1963INVENTOR.

J1me 1967 K. F. scmscHKQw 3,323,487

APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING AND CUTTING INDIVIDUAL UNITS FROM A SHEET FiledJuly 15, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet FIG. 4

June 6, 1967 K. F. SCHISCHKOW APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING AND CUTTINGINDIVIDUAL UNITS FROM A SHEET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 15, 1965 mVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,323,487 APPARATUS FUR MOISTENING AND CUTTINGINDIVIDUAL UNITS FROM A SHEET Konstantin F. Schisclhkow, Whitestone,N.Y., assignor of one-third to Albert F. Kronrnan, Locust Valley, N111,

one-sixth to Henry Stern, New York, N.Y., and onesiirtii to LouisAlexander, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Filed Iuiy 15, 1963, Ser. No. 295,075 a (Ilairns. (@Cl. Hit-11) Thisinvention relates to machines for placing gummed labels or stamps upon amailing piece and particularly to an improved machine for applyingindividual labels or stamps from a sheet in which they are held in aplurality of parallel strips.

Stamps, gummed labels, address stickers, and the like are frequently andmost economically manufactured in sheet form separated by lines ofperforations. In order to apply individual stamps or labels to a surfacesuch as an envelope or mailing piece from such a sheet, it is necessaryto first separate the individual member or unit from the sheet, moistenit and then apply it. These steps often nullify the savings made throughthe use of inexpensive sheets.

It has been known to place such sheets in a machine, sever them intoshort strips, and then feed them into knives which cut individual unitsfrom the strips. Other known devices place the sheets on a travelingcarriage which advances them one by one into a cutting position much asa typewriter advances a page for imprinting. Still other prior artdevices sever individual stamps or labels by means of a moving knife andconvey them to a moistening and applying station.

All of the above mentioned prior art devices are complicated, prone tomechanical failure, large and expensive.

The invention herein, in effect, converts a sheet of stamps or labelsinto an elongated helical strip of stamps or labels by directing thesheet through a skewed path. The leading stamp or label is thus fed intothe cutting and moistening station laterally offset with respect to thenext adjacent strip of stamps or labels which form the next turn of thehelix. Successive stamps or labels are thus presented to the cutting andmoistening station without further lateral motion of the sheet andwithout the need for first severing the sheet into strips.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a highlysimplified stamp or gummed label applying or dispensing machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine whichwill accept labels or stamps in sheet form and dispense them asindividual units.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a stamp orlabel dispensing device which will operate over a prolonged periodwithout failure due to gumming or jamming.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a label applyingand dispensing device which can be stopped at any time and resumedwithout sticking or dispensing a plurality of labels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a label or stampdispensing machine capable of feeding successive sheets into the machinefor continuous operation. 1

An object of the present invention is to provide a compact, light, andinexpensive stamp or label applying and dispensing machine.

A feature of the present invention is its use of a skewed table to leadthe sheet of stamps or labels into a path whereby they are formed into ahelix.

Still another feature of the present invention is its feeding means foradvancing individual stamps or labels into the cutting or dispensingposition.

A further feature of the present invention is its unit severing andmoistening means.

Another feature of the present invention is its highly simplifiedconstruction employing a minimum number of parts for dispensing andapplying individual units from a sheet to a mailing piece.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangementof parts and the steps of the method as herein illustrated, describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof are illustrated twoforms of embodiment of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a complete embodiment of a label applyingmachine made in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 22 in FIGURE 1 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan View on a reduced scaleillustrating the manner in which a sheet of labels is converted into ahelical strip of labels.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 44 in FIGURE 3 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a view in front elevation of the label applying machineshown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 in FIGURE 5 looking inthe direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view somewhat enlarged of the moisteningportion of the device shown in FIG- URES 1 and 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, 11indicates a label dispensing and applying machine having a table 11 toreceive thereon one or more sheets 12 of labels 13. The sheet 12 isscored or perforated as indicated at 14 in FIGURE 3 to divide the sheetinto individual labels which are gummed on one side in the well knownmanner.

A skewed guide 15 secured at each side to a frame 41 is disposedadjacent the table 11 and has spaced flat top and bottom label receivingsurfaces 16 and 17 thereon. The top label receiving surface 16 is on thesame plane as the table 11 so that the sheets 12 can he slid from thetable 11 directly on to the top surface 16 of the guide 15. The guide 15is formed with rounded front and rear edges 18, 19 which interconnectthe top and bottom label receiving surfaces 16, 1'7. The front and rearedges 18, 19 are parallel to each other but angularly disposed withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the table 11.

As a result of the angular disposition of the guide 15 with respect tothe table 11, and as will be apparent from an examination of FIGURE 3,the sheet 12 having the labels 13 therein is led around the roundedfront and rear edges 18, 19 and assumes a position upon the guide 15wherein the labels 13 are disposed in a substantially continuous helicalpath around the guide 15. As shown in FIGURE 3 the sides of the skewedguide 15 and the spacing of the front and rear edges 18, 19 is such thatthe sheet 12 will lie with its leading edge 20 and its trailing edge 21in an abutting relationship after the sheet 12 has been completelywrapped around the guide 15.

As the leading edge of the sheet 12 approaches the cut oif station 22 ofthe label dispensing machine 10, the first label indicated at 23 inFIGURE 3 will be laterally offset from the next adjacent line of labelsindicated at 24. As the sheet 12 is fed around the table 11 in thehereinafter more fully set forth manner, successive labels 13 willappear at the cut off station 22 due to the generally helicalarrangement of the labels, brought about by the skewed guide 15 overwhich the sheet is slid.

A top guide plate 25 is carried by the label dispensing machine abovethe skewed guide and spaced therefrom. The top guide plate has anupwardly directed flap 26 which directs the sheet 12 beneath the plate25 and across the flat label receiving surface of the skewed guide 15. Abottom guide plate 27 is carried beneath the skewed guide 15 and spacedtherefrom a distance just large enough to permit the sheet 12 to slipfreely between the guide plate 27 and the skewed guide 15. The front ofthe bottom guide plate 27 is curved upwardly as indicated at 28 inFIGURES 2 and 4, to receive the leading edge 20 of the sheet 12 andguide it downwardly between the bottom label receiving surface '17 ofthe skewed guide 15 and the bottom guide plate 27. A small block 29 issecured beneath the table 11 at the opposite end of the skewed guide 15.The block 29 is formed with an arcuate front surface 30 which is spacedfrom the rounded rear edge 19 of the skewed guide 15 as shown in FIGURES2 and 4. The arcuate surface 30 directs the leading edge 20 of the sheet12 upwardly and between the top guide plate 25 and the flat top labelreceiving surface 16 of the skewed guide 15 to give the sheet 12 theconfiguration shown in FIGURE 3.

The top guide plate 25 is cut away as indicated at 31 and 32 in FIGURE 1to receive therethrough the sheet feeding pads 33. The pads 33 arepreferably made of some suitable resilient material such as spongerubber or the like and are secured to a plate 33:! attached to thebottom of blocks 34. The blocks 34 are bored as indicated at 35 toreceive therein eccentric cams 36. The cams 36 are keyed to an elongatedshaft 37 which is driven by means of the crank 38 or some other suitablepower source. The shaft 37 is journaled within plates 39 secured at eachside of the label dispensing machine 10, to spring loaded arms 66.

In order to prevent the shaft 37 from flexing between the plates 39there is provided an arm 40 best shown in FIGURES 2 and 5 which issecured to the frame 41 of the label dispensing machine 10 by means of abracket 42. The arm 40 overlies the shaft 37 and carries a spring loadedplunger 43 which rides upon the shaft 37. Shaft deflection is thus heldto a minimum during the operation of the machine.

As the crank 38 is turned the eccentric cams 36 move the blocks 34 fromthe rear of the cut away slots 31, 32 toward the front of the said slotscausing the pads 33 to slide the sheet 12 forward in the direction ofthe cut off station 22. As the feeding pads 33 reach the front of theslots 31, 32 the eccentric cams 36 raise the pads off the sheet 12 andcarry the pads 33 rearwardly and then down again into contact with thesheet to repeat the feeding cycle. It will be understood that the travelof the pads 33 will be governed by the size and configuration of thecams 36 in such a manner that for each rotation of the cams one completelabel distance will be advanced by the sheet 12 or, if desired the sheetmay be moved the desired distance by two or three complete rotations ofthe cams 36.

As the leading label 23 on the sheet 12 reaches the cut off station 22it will overlie a resilient pad 44 best shown in FIGURE 1. The resilientpad 44 is secured to the end of a pivotally mounted arm 45. The label 23will also lie in the path of a cut off knife 46 carried on the end of abar 47. The bar 47 is swingably secured to the label dispensing machine10 at 48 and when brought down upon the label severs it from the sheet12 in the manner of a steel rule die. The bar 4-7 also supports amoistening device 49 best shown in FIGURE 7. The moistening device 49consists of a small reservoir 50 within which a liquid such as water maybe carried. The liquid 51 is led from the reservoir 50 through a smalltube 52 which traverses the knife support 53 on the end of the bar 47.As the knife 46 is brought down to sever the label from the sheet, adroplet of water or other liquid 51 will flow from the tube 52 on to thegummed surface of the label for moistening purposes.

Where the liquid is applied from the top as shown in FIGURES 5 and 7 thesheet is fed into the machine 10 with the gummed surface up. However, itis within the purview of the present invention to apply moisture to thelabel from the bottom using other moistening means than thoseillustrated in FIGURES 5 and 7.

Two small spring loaded screws 54 are carried by the knife support 53 asshown in FIGURE 5. The screws 54 are forced upwardly into the knifesupport 53 as the knife 46 is brought into contact with the label. Thescrews 54 hold the severed labels against the pad 44 as the knife iswithdrawn leaving the label upon the pad 44. The arm 45 can then betilted upwardly as shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 2 to bring the labelagainst a mailing piece 55 for attachment thereto. After the label hasbeen brought into contact with the mailing piece 55 the arm 45 islowered to its original position and the shaft 37 rotated by the crank38 to bring the next label into the cutting station 22. The cutting andlabel applying operation is then repeated and successive operationscontinued until all of the labels on the sheet 12 have been used up.

As the last strip of labels is fed into the cutting station 22 anothersheet (not shown) may be fed into the machine from the rear of the table11. A feed arm 55 best shown in FiGURE 2 is provided at the rear of thetable 11 for this purpose. The feed arm 55 has a rubber roller 56 at theend thereof which bears against the topmost sheet of labels heldthereunder. A small knifelike member 57 is carried by a bracket 58 atthe rear of the table 11 and serves to retain the sheets of labelsplaced thereunder. When the rubber roller 56 is moved forward by thefeed arm 55 it pulls the topmost sheet clear of the knifelike member 57which nevertheless retains the remainder of the sheets on the table 11.In this manner one sheet at a time can be fed into the label dispensingand applying machine.

It will be apparent that the above device can be motor driven and madecompletely automatic without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention. In addition, the highly simplified structure of the devicesmakes it possible to operate them at relatively high speed. Since thelabels are not moistened until they are ready to be severed from thesheet there is no danger of gumming due to moisture getting into theattached label.

The spring loaded arms 66 hold the pads 33 against the sheet 12throughout their travel within the slots 31, 32 despite the rotarymotion of the cams 36 to provide a positive feeding action for thesheet.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A device for dispensing individual units from a sheet made up of aplurality of said units secured together in rows at their adjacentmargins comprising a frame, means thereon to initially direct said sheetlongitudinally in a given path, a guide having spaced parallel curvedsides held by said frame in said path and skewed with respect to saidpath, means to direct the sheet around the spaced parallel sides of theguide and thereby lead the rows of units in a substantially helical patharound the guide, means to helically advance the sheet around the guideand means to sever individual units from the sheet.

2. A device for dispensing individual units from a sheet made up of aplurality of said units secured together in rows at their adjacentmargins comprising a frame, means thereon to initially direct said sheetin a given path, a guide having spaced parallel curved sides held bysaid frame in said path and skewed with respect to said path, meansincluding a top and bottom guide plate spaced from the skewed guide todirect the sheet around the spaced parallel sides of the guide andthereby lead the rows of units in a substantially helical path aroundthe guide, means in frictional contact with the Sheet to helicallyadvance the sheet around the guide and knife means to sever individualunits from the sheet.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the sheet advancing meanscomprises a shaft carried above the guide, a plurality of sheet engagingmembers on the shaft and means to rotate the shaft to drive the sheetengaging members.

4. A device according to claim 2 in which the sheet advancing meanscomprises a shaft carried above the guide, spaced spring loaded arms oneach end of the shaft secured at one end to the frame supporting theshaft and yieldably urging it toward the guide, a plurality of resilientsheet engaging members, a block supporting each resilient member, cammeans in driving engagement with each block on the shaft and means torotate the shaft to drive the cams and actuate the sheet engagingmembers.

5. A device for dispensing individual units from a sheet made up of aplurality of said units secured together in rows at their adjacentmargins comprising a table to receive the sheets, a frame adjacent thetable to receive the sheets from said table, and means thereon toinitially direct said sheets in a given path, a guide having spacedsubstantially parallel curved sides positioned transversely of said pathand skewed with respect thereto, means including a top and bottom guideplate spaced from the skewed guide to direct the sheet around the spacedparallel sides of the guide and thereby lea-d the rows of units in asubstantially helical path around the guide, means in frictional contactwith the sheet to helically advance the sheet around the guide and knifemeans to sever individual units from the sheet.

6. A device for dispensing individual units from a sheet made up of aplurality of said units secured together in rows at their adjacentmargins comprising a frame, means thereto to initially direct sa-idsheet in a given path, a guide having spaced parallel curved sides heldby said frame in said path and skewed with respect to said path, meansincluding a top and bottom guide plate spaced from the skewed guide todirect the sheet around the curved sides of the guide and thereby leadthe rows of units in a substantially helical path around the guide,means in frictional contact with the sheet to helically advance thesheet around the guide, knife means to sever individual units from thesheet and means to apply moisture to the unit as it is severed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,338,291 4/1920 Elman 118-412,326,745 8/1943 Balk.

2,585,227 2/1952 Christman 118-41 X 2,741,310 4/1956 Kagan et a1.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. J. P. MCINTOSH, AssistantExaminer.

6. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING INDIVIDUAL UNITS FROM A SHEET MADE UP OF APLURALITY OF SAID UNITS SECURED TOGETHER IN ROWS AT THEIR ADJACENTMARGINS COMPRISING A FRAME, MEANS THERETO TO INITIALLY DIRECT SAID SHEETIN A GIVEN PATH, A GUIDE HAVING SPACED PARALLEL CURVED SIDES HELD BYSAID FRAME IN SAID PATH AND SKEWED WITH RESPECT TO SAID PATH, MEANSINCLUDING A TOP AND BOTTOM GUIDE PLATE SPACED FROM THE SKEWED GUIDE TODIRECT THE SHEET AROUND THE CURVED SIDES OF THE GUIDE AND THEREBY LEADTHE ROWS OF UNITS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HELICAL PATH AROUND THE GUIDE,MEANS IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH THE SHEET TO HELICALLY ADVANCE THESHEET AROUND THE GUIDE, KNIFE MEANS TO SEVER INDIVIDUAL UNITS FROM THESHEET AND MEANS TO APPLY MOISTURE TO THE UNIT AS IT IS SEVERED.